NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today sent a request to President Barack Obama to expedite a major disaster declaration for five Tennessee counties in order to get needed federal assistance to aid in recovery from wildfires and severe storms. The counties included in Haslam’s declaration request are Coffee, McMinn, Polk, Sequatchie and Sevier.

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission held its final 2016 meeting on Friday which included a visit from the hunter who harvested a 46-point buck which almost certainly will be a new state record and could possibly establish a new world record for a whitetail deer.

The Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability announced today that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted the Commission’s request to have a Special Enrollment Period to assist those Medicare beneficiaries affected by the recent wildfires and tornadoes in East Tennessee.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd on Thursday announced that the state of Tennessee, along with the city of Memphis, will invest in public infrastructure surrounding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) reminds Tennesseans to keep safety in mind as they heat their homes during the winter season. Residents are urged to use extra caution with the use of alternate heat sources, such as portable heaters.

An investigation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, National Park Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in charges being placed against two people in connection with the deadly wildfires in Sevier County.